Formats · Length 30-90s short, 8-20 min long · 9:16 or 16:9 · beginner
Reaction video: how to shoot, edit, and prompt it
A reaction video shows you watching a clip and responding to it, with the clip and your face both on screen.
By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24
- Platforms
- TikTok, Reels, Shorts, YouTube
- Length
- 30-90s short, 8-20 min long
- Aspect
- 9:16 or 16:9
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Gear
- phone or webcam, the clip you're reacting to
Your face is the product. The clip is just the excuse.
At a glance
| Best for | Commentary channels, expert breakdowns, entertainment |
| Hook style | Your biggest reaction first, then rewind to the start |
| Pacing | Clip plays, pause, react, resume |
| Caption style | Captions on your speech only |
| Music | None |
| Shot list | One continuous take of you watching. The source clip. A close-up for the big moment. |
| Common mistakes | Watching silently for 20 seconds. Source audio over your voice. Reacting to all of it instead of the best 3 moments. |
Structure
- 0-3s: your peak reaction, cold open
- 3-8s: "okay let's go back", what you're watching
- 8-60s: 2-4 pause-and-react beats
- 60-75s: your verdict
- 75-80s: what you'll react to next
How to shoot it
- Record your face and the screen at the same time so sync is exact.
- If it's a first-time reaction, actually watch it for the first time on camera.
- Pause the source when you want to talk. Don't talk over it.
- Keep your face big in frame.
- Record 10 seconds after the clip ends for the verdict.
How to edit it
- Cut every stretch where you watch and say nothing.
- Put your peak moment first, then restart.
- Source on the top 60%, you on the bottom 40%, or picture-in-picture.
- Source audio 10-12 dB under your voice.
- Caption your speech only, in your part of the frame.
- Cut on your reactions, not on the source's cuts.
Prompt it in Vyra
This is a 12-minute reaction recording. Cut it to 60 seconds. Keep the 3 biggest reactions and the moments right before them. Source clip on top, my face on the bottom. Open on my loudest laugh, then go back to the beginning.
Remove every part where I'm just watching and not talking. Lower the source audio under my voice and caption only what I say.
Variations
- Expert reaction, pause to explain, more teaching than laughing.
- Rapid fire, 5 clips, 10 seconds of reaction each.
- Rewatch, react to your own old videos.
FAQ
Can I use the clip? Keep source portions short and add real commentary. Check each platform's rules on reused content.
How long can the source play before I talk? 5-8 seconds max. Silence is where people leave.
Does layout matter? Yes. In vertical, your face should never be smaller than a third of the frame.